Back to results
US 8,703,883 B2Granted
Systems and methods for real-time catalyst particle size control in a polymerization reactor
AssigneeChevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
InventorsMax P. McDaniel, Joel A. Mutchler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Polymerization reactor systems providing real-time control of the average particle size of catalyst system components are disclosed. Methods for operating such polymerization reactor systems also are described.
Claims30
A method of operating a polymerization reactor system, the method comprising:
- (i) reducing an average particle size of a first catalyst system component to produce a reduced catalyst system component having a reduced average particle size, wherein the first catalyst system component comprises chromium impregnated onto silica, chromium impregnated onto silica-titania, chromium cogelled with silica, chromium cogelled with silica-titania, or any combination thereof;
- (ii) introducing a transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component and an olefin monomer into a polymerization reactor within the polymerization reactor system;
- (iii) contacting the transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component with the olefin monomer under polymerization conditions to produce an olefin polymer;
- (iv) monitoring a process variable in the polymerization reactor system and/or a property of the olefin polymer, and
- (v) when the process variable and/or the property has/have reached a predetermined level, adjusting the reduced average particle size.
2 more elements
A polymerization reactor system comprising:
- (a) a comminution device configured to reduce a first catalyst system component, having a first average particle size, to produce a reduced catalyst system component having a reduced average particle size;
- (b) a polymerization reactor configured to contact a transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component with an olefin monomer under polymerization conditions to produce an olefin polymer;
- and
- (c) a controller operative to control the reduced average particle size according to a process variable in the polymerization reactor system and/or according to a property of the olefin polymers;
- wherein the polymerization reactor system comprises a loop slurry reactor.
2 more elements
A polymerization reactor system comprising:
- (a) a comminution device configured to reduce a first catalyst system component, having a first average particle size, to produce a reduced catalyst system component having a reduced average particle size;
- (b) a polymerization reactor configured to contact a transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component with an olefin monomer under polymerization conditions to produce an olefin polymer;
- and
- (c) a controller operative to control the reduced average particle size according to a process variable in the polymerization reactor system and/or according to a property of the olefin polymer;
- wherein the polymerization reactor system comprises a fluidized bed reactor, and wherein the process variable in the polymerization reactor system and/or the property of the olefin polymer comprise(s):
- a fluidizing gas velocity in the fluidized bed reactor;
- a bed density in the fluidized bed reactor;
- a bed height in the fluidized bed reactor;
- a gas/powder ratio in the fluidized bed reactor;
- a static build-up in the fluidized bed reactor;
- or
- any combination thereof.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.